TECHNICAL EVOLUTION OF JIUJITSU TECHNIQUE
A Relationship between Kenjutsu and Kumiuchi
FACTORS:
1. Importance / Impact of the Historical Era
2. Classical Schools and their Founders
3. Curriculum(a) of Ryu (s)
The Importance / Impact of the Historical Era
The Kamakura Era (1192 – 1333) was marked by the struggles between rival families,
The Taira and the Minamoto. The Fujiwara and the Prime Minister, the Regent and the Imperial Family.
The kettle of war was kept boiling: by the invasion of the Mongols, (with the help of the Koreans and the Chinese,) on two occasions, 1274 and 1281, but were turned back -- twice.
The Muromachi Era ( 1336- 1574 ) was a period of constant warfare and insurgency which resulted in the emergence of warriors who attained levels of technical ability in Jiujitsu, weapon use, tactical knowledge and mental equilibrium that has never been surpassed in numbers and quality.
Thus an environment, lasting hundreds of years, provided the opportunities for many individuals -- to battle test, edit techniques that worked/or not, work out the strengths and weaknesses of physical and mental strategies. Those individuals became the founders of schools and passed on the techniques of survival on the basis of their constant exposure to adversity.
The three men who unified Japan were Nobunaga (1573 – 1582). Hideyoshi ( 1582-1598) and Togukawa Ieyasu ( 1600 – 1656) By centralizing authority, census taking, taxation and implementing rules restricting the ability of the daimyos to wage internecine warfare( banning weapons, restricting size of armies and entourages, closing their borders, evicting foreigners, demanding obeisance from the lords etc; they set Japan on a course of, relative, internal peace and order that came to be known as the Edo Era ( 1603 – 1867)
So what does this mean in terms of technique (physical, mental and spiritual)? And the
emergence of Koryu Jujutsu Ryus ( schools of classical jiujitsu, sword and other weapon use) and the evolvement of their curriculums and the changes of techniques as they moved into the more orderly Edo Era?
Kumiuchi or Grappling ~ was a different art in the individual eras.
In the pre – Edo eras ; Oyori or Senjo Kumiuchi or Battlefield Grappling was substantially different: in that 55 pounds of armour despite impeding flexibility and speed could be advantageous to giving maximum impetus to charging a foe and dispatching him with the long knife in vulnerable areas of his armour. The use of the yoroi doshi ( armour piercing knife) was the instrument of the finishing strike to his foe.
Kumiuchi Kenden or Grappling with/ for a Sword would require skill, great bio mechanical knowledge, and an intimate insight into leverage. This would be the acme of skill (along with muto dori) of the warrior skills of Kenjutsu and Jiujitsu.
In the Warring States Era (Sengoku Period- late 15th – to 16th century{Late Muromachi} armour became lighter; therefore techniques changed because of increased speed and flexibility resulting in increased use of nagewaza, limb entanglements and the growing potential of the use and success of muto dori( empty handed weapon disarms.)
However grappling in the Edo Era was vastly different.
Heifuku Kumiuchi( a.k.a. Suhada) was grappling in street clothes which opened up different tactical opportunities such as the use of hidden weapons(kakushibuki).\ and the use of atemiwaza and kanzetsuwaza -- (on the battlefield – {pre Edo} - this would not be as effective because of the armour and limited vulnerabilities.) You can see how technical improvements in equipment forces change in technique.
Classical Schools and their Founders
Before we proceed, a small word about the difficulties of researching this particular area.
Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Fujiwara no Hidetsune was also known as Kamizumi Musashi no Kami Fujiwara No Nobutsuna (1508 - 1578) He was the founder of Shinkage Ryu ( a sword school )So depending on your research; you may find that Hidetsune or Nobutsune or indeed Kamiizumi Ise or Fujiwara or Kamiizume Musashi (not to be confused with that other Musashi) is the Founder of Shinkage Ryu -- is the same person! THE REASON: He was an orphan – and therefore renamed. Not an extraordinary result of the Warring Era. (Also the reversal of surname/name by earlier researchers is then picked up and misunderstood; then passed along,) I will find it convenient to refer to this important individual as -- Hidetsune ~ for all our sakes.
One of Hidetsune’s exploits was immortalized by the famous film maker Kurosawa
Where he rescued a person ( a child, I believe, from a madman by throwing a rice ball into a barn and thereby created a suki and without drawing his sword ----- resolved the hostage dilemma. ( Read Danny Coulson’s “No Heroes”- Founder of the FBI’s Counter Terrorist Hostage Rescue Team-(HRT) and note his use of the S.A.S. colour coding, house reconnaissance technique and the ethos of not drawing the sword { one ryu borrowing from another? and adding it to their curricullum- but of course.})
